Military man sets up Leeds gym in time for Christmas

Fat fighters in Leeds who are hoping to kick their festive overindulgence will have a helping hand from an ex-military professional.

Philip Wright, 35, has left his army life behind and opened a brand new gym in time for Christmas.

The father-of-one from Aberford has set up Primal Gym at a 10,500sq ft site over two floors at Leeds Dock.

The £500,000 gym is believed to be the first in the UK where the more you exercise, the less you have to pay in membership.

Former military fitness professional Philip previously served seven years in the British Army as an Arabic interpreter in Afghanistan and Iraq. Speaking about his new venture, he said: “For too long, gyms have promised results and not delivered. Our aim is to change this.

“My team and I have spent a lot of time researching all the common frustrations gym users have and we’ve found the main trouble is that people get bored of going, they lose motivation and they don’t end up getting the results that they wanted.”

He added: “We believe Leeds Dock is a fantastic location for a new gym and we’re looking forward to helping Leeds residents with our new and exciting approach to health and fitness.”

The new gym will include 20 fitness experts and offers members up to £10 off per month when they achieve their fitness targets.

Leeds Dock, which was formerly known as Clarence Dock, was bought by Allied London in 2011.

Michael Ingall, chief executive of Allied London, said: “Our vision for the regeneration of Leeds Dock is to develop facilities that offer a space for inventive companies.

“Primal Gym fits into that category and it’s fantastic to see them breaking the mould in terms of rewarding members for the amount they use the gym.”